The influence of media cue multiplicity on deceivers and those who are deceived

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Xu, J., Cenfetelli, R.T., and Aquino, K. (2012), "The Influence of Media Cue Multiplicity on Deceivers and Those Who Are Deceived." Journal of Business Ethics, 106(3), pp. 337-352

Abstract

We extend prior research of deceitful behavior
by studying the reactions of those who are targets of
deception and how a speciﬁc attribute of communication
media, cue multiplicity, inﬂuences such reactions. We
report on a laboratory experiment involving dyads asked to
engage in a stock share purchase exercise. We ﬁnd that
when a broker is perceived to act deceitfully by the buyer,
the buyer reacts with negative affect (anger) which provokes subsequent acts of revenge against the broker.
Importantly, we ﬁnd that media with higher cue multiplicity attenuate buyer anger as well as lessen the propensity for the buyer to seek retaliatory acts of revenge. We
further ﬁnd that moral anger mediates the effect of buyers’
perceived deception on revenge.